Letters to the editor, Nov. 18, 2012

Will building plan help city students?

Last year, a group of former classmates visited its old alma mater, School 25 on North Goodman Street. Not much has changed. We joked that the maroon velvet stage curtain looked like the same one we used back then. There is a library/computer room now. There are 6 to 8 computers and shelves jammed with books. There is also a "lunchroom."

The school is ancient, but the halls and classrooms are alive with paintings, posters, handwritten stories and a book-reading challenge in progress. There is much evidence of a positive learning environment and the teachers are enthusiastic and friendly.

I guess upkeep is an issue, but will the $625 million proposal that includes closing schools like 25 result in better-educated grade-school children and therefore better high school graduation rates?

CAROL DALBERTH

WEBSTER

Remmereit charts an exciting course

As a longtime subscriber to the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, I am an enthusiastic supporter of our new music director, Arild Remmereit. I am especially pleased with his commitment to women composers and celebrate the RPO's Amy Award from Women's Philharmonic Advocacy. The ongoing inclusion of local student poets on the stage of Kodak Hall is a creative community outreach building our future diversified audience.

We have all marked our orchestra's improvement over the past 10 years, and I have heard this further advanced under the direction of Remmereit. It is clear that our maestro programmed this 90th anniversary year from his study of our history and vision for our future.

I wholeheartedly commend him for his gifts to our fortunate community.

ANN MARIE JOHNSON

BRIGHTON

One town doesn't need 2 school chiefs

Why does the town of Irondequoit have two school superintendents?

Gov. Andrew Cuomo told school districts throughout New York state that, to save money, they should examine their six-figure school superintendent salaries. Rochester and Greece are larger than Irondequoit, yet they both have only one superintendent.

Instead of complaining about inadequate state education aid, pension costs and health insurance costs, perhaps Irondequoit should heed Gov. Cuomo's advice and determine if they really need two school superintendents. It appears that one would be sufficient.

PATRICK DOWNS

ROCHESTER

Needy states overcame heartland

When I looked at the election results, in almost all of the blue states there was at least one major city that can no longer support itself; and in several, like ours, more than one.

I see a group of politicians, citizens, non-citizens, unions and special-interest groups which can no longer be supported by local and state governments elect a sympathetic president and Senate who have the power to divert "revenue" from the red states to maintain their lifestyle. These groups are too concentrated to take control of the House at this time. What will happen when there are no more red states, which are the heartland of our great country?

Every election, voter groups are separated and our fears are stoked by the politicians to gain advantage over their opponents. It looks like "red versus blue" is the future of politics for some time to come.

TONY VELLOZZI

IRONDEQUOIT

'Blue' and 'red' stoke divisions

I feel compelled to comment on the insightful Nov. 10 letter in which the writer suggested that we show the election map in shades of purple instead of the familiar blue and red. I have always felt that designating a state as one color or another surely doesn't tell the whole story of the people voting in that state, but never thought of this as perpetuating division among us. The bottom line is that we are all Americans, and as such, we have more in common than not. Bravo to the letter writer for highlighting that a map of two colors for one country probably does do harm even if it is meant to provide a summary of information.

Fifty Shades of Gray? No, thank you. I'm all for 50 (or as many as could exist) shades of purple.